



r L 



COPYRIGHT HEPOSIT. 



A B O O K 
OF DAYS 



B Y»* 



F. SYDNOR CARTMELL 



Yesterday's Reflections 
Today's Thoughts 
Tomorrow's Dreams 




2^. 



DONE INTO PRINTBYTHE 
ROYCROFTERS AT THEIR SHOP, 
WHICH IS IN EAST AURORA, 
ERIE CO., NEW YORK. MCMV 






/?. 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copioo Re<'.eivecl 

DEC 16 1905 

^ Copyrisht Entiy 
CLASS a. XXc, No 
' COPY B. 



Copyright 

1905 

By F. Sydkor Cabtmell 



Cfje jFirsit— or puritan ©ap 

€lecteb to lie ilos(t 

X was the time of a revival, 

Hud Satan's worh was slack* 
**X must find me some new victims, 

Hnd keep closely on their track. 
Chere's a baby new and crying, 

I Ul just send an imp of sin. 
Show it the way of transgression, 

Hnd then 1 11 gather it in. 
Besides she has come on f riday, 

X claim all rights to that day. 
On that day my very best workers 

Hre freed from their bodies of clay, 
XHl just send the demon of mischief, 

Co tempt her first step wrong, 

Hnd the next wrong step will be easy, 

Cill she joins my innumerable throng. 
X shall tempt her with vanity first, 

Che flattery of worldings and knaves; 
Surround her with pleasures alluring, 

Chen give her the homage she craves. 
Chen shall follow woe and heartache. 

Sorrow and grim despair; 
poverty comes as a horror. 

Bringing hunger and care. 
ChereHl clouds of woe fall about her, 

Dusband and children will die, 
persecutions, a widow's portion, 

Cdill measure of misery supply. 



Che girl was eighteen^ and very fair, 
^ith lofty ideae and brilliant hopes; 

Che boy was twenty, with the college air 
Of holding the world and ** knowing the 
ropes/^ 

** X love the ground beneath your feet/' 
Re said, and watched her fair sweet face; 

** You are to me an angel, crowned 
CClith every virtue, every grace* 

"X love the dog your hand caressed, 
X'tn glad he is not in human guise; 

I envy him like one possessed. 
Wis nearness to your lovely eyes. 

*'8ee! here I beg for one kind glance; 

One gentle look on me bestow; * # 
You say, you think I'll have a chance, 

Hnd like the dog, perhaps I'll grow," 



%onm, or Bapsi of Miimtion 

Che light flared out in the tempUt 

Chat temple of yoyr soiil; 
Che mind was blinded b>^ passion^ 

Co drink beyond control. 

Hnd where did you gfo I wonder? 

Co one of the million stars? 
You were so fond of red paint, 

X*m sure you stopped at J^ars. 

ISfo matter, you're building better 

Chan those that jeer at stars; 
Hnd think that heaven is higher, 

Hnd there's only fire in JVIars. 

But X know you loved the best, 
Hnd reached for it once in a while, 

Che long-faced deacons prayed for you, 
<iClhile happiness came with your smile. 

Rappy-go-lucky, debonair, 
6oing a pace that's wild, 

Cender and gentle, if only human- 
Co man and woman and child. 

You were always glad to be kind, 

Hnd gayest in the dance; 
TOll the praying men with hidden sins 

Rave a great deal better chance? 

3 



^ ©ap of ©reamg 

Obl QD[hat 19 this life but a love dream? 

Htt earth things if left uncaressed? 
Don't the dew find the heart of the flower? 

Don't the flower hold it close to its breast? 

Don't the sun kiss the rose till she blushes? 

He gives her the life she holds dear. 
Don't the grape owe its bloom to a raindrop? 

Che joy of its birth to a tear? 

It is love holds you close in the arms 
Of one whose star you will be; 

IMs love is a rapturous bondage^ 
fi*om which it is death to be free. 

Dis blood has a touch of the 8outK 
Dis heart feels the things that you feel, 

Responds to unspoken wishes, 
perfection in life you reveaU 

You are one, through years that will follow, 

Hnd one if joy only be heard, 
Cogether when your thoughts seem too holy, 

Hnd too pure for the touch of a word* 



Cije jFeagt of ti)t ^gsiumption 

AUGUST FIFTEENTH 

for the love of 6od, Uttle girl, 

You tbinh the world well lost; 
You will live your life to serve Rim, 

J^or care to count the cost* 
Che cost is the world's poor estimate 

Of the pure life you live; 
Che world sees the fair, sweet face, 

Hud thinks that too much to give. 
You are so filled with the love of God, 

Chere can be no bodily pain; 
Che Christ life so fills your spirit, 

Chat the living is glorious gain. 
Bend low o'er the sick and afflicted; 

Real the bruised reed at will; 
Croubles are just human error, 

Co passion, command, ''peace be still/' 
In the name of the dear Son, go forth. 

Into all the world revealing 
Che mission Christ gave the saints, 

Co minister and do the healing. 



June 

Che play of the rill is music, 

Hll nature ie a-tune, 
Cbe single note of the whip-poor-will 

)VIahes a symphony in '^une. 

H crescent moon is rising, 

Bringing a m>^tic light; 
Che one sad note of the whip-poor-will, 

Das in it peace to-night, 

Chen come away world-weary, 

f^rom fashion's pace that kills. 
Cum suddenly out of the rushing, 

Co the ''peace of eternal mils/' 

Rere the whip-poor-will sings to the stars, 

Che laurels are all in bloom, 
Che trees are whispering vespers, 

Hnd everything rhymes in 3une. 



Bai'si of Wiav 



H soldier and a Rebel 

I>ad been wounded one sad day; 
Che Rebels were outnumbered, 

Hnd the Y^n^^^s ^>^W full sway. 
H YmiUu surgeon saw him, 

Hnd with scarcely army grace, 
Said; **Re's well enough to go 

On the morrow to Camp Chase/' 
''Co Camp Chase?'' ashed a maiden, 

Cdith her dark eyes all aglow, 
''^e have nursed him back from death, 

Hnd we say he shall not go/' 
Chen JVIiss 6dmonia 8hell, 

(mth a figure fine and tall. 
Said: 'Xhe '^^mUccq are all \>illains. 

But vou 're the worst of all/' 
"IMiss ed./* the surgeon answered, 

Hnd watched her handsome face, 
**X've saved your horse and chickens, 

everything that's on your place; 
You are so superbly fine. 

On that cream-colored loe, 
Chat I sent a guard to save him 

for the handsomest girl I know/' 
'"Just shut up," she said in anger, 

**y[o\i can have the horse and things. 
But let a sick man have a chance, 

7 



Cbo' it puU your conscience strings/' 
*^QIe will take him on the morrow/' 

Said the surgeon with a bow^ 
Che girls were glad he left, 

Chey could scheme together now. 
''Kate, we must both get horses/' 

Said JVIiss 6d. with eager haste, 
'*CCle will take him to the Rebels, 

Hnd we 've got no time to waste* 
I'll go to the mills for Linsey, 

Hnd I'll send Briscoe a letter; 
Re will meet us in the Cedars, 

I can think of nothing better/' 
It was just three hours later, 

Cdhen they met out near the fence, 
**X cannot get a horse/' said Kate, 

Hnd they stood in dire suspense. 
''Cde cannot run away, Kate, 

On a horse as light as 3oe, 
Che tracks will be seen as plain as day 

In this fresh, fast-falling snow. 
I will take it to the Lord, 

Re will show us what to do; 
He has never failed an orphan, 

Hnd IMs promises are true/' 
It was eight o'clock that night, 

Hnd the stars were shining coldly, 
^hen three figures started out 

Hcross the snow, quite boldly. 
8 



Kate rode behind the saddle, 

Bnd held the soldier steady; 
JVIiss Shell led the horse, 

Hud everything was ready. 
Curkey Run was reached at last, 

Hfter two miles eager walking, 
Kate leaped into the water, 

3t which poor 'Joe seemed balking. 
IVIiss 6d. got up behind the man, 

Hnd held him in warm embrace; 
Re was too ill to care for charms, 

Y>is soul was in the race, 
^ith quivering lips and shivering limbs, 

Kate led loe through freezing water, 
feeling she had a soldier's part. 

Glad she was a soldier's daughter. 
She stumbled over slippery rocks. 

But led Joe firmly forward, 
f>er ankles ached, the tears would come, 

^hile the water laughed, **Y^u coward.** 
Che tall, bare trees on either side. 

Groaned forth a wild despair; 
Che wind took up a chilling knell, 

Hnd rang it on the air. 
"It 's two miles more,'* the tall girl said, 

Hs she slipped into the stream, 
"Get on the horse, I'll wrap you up, 

Chis freezing is no dream. 
Ill lead him up the Run,*' she said, 

9 



*XiU the trodden road we find, 
mc*il go up that as long ae safe; 

^hen we leave the stream behind*'' 
Che waters roared thro' a rocky cave, 

Hnd drowned the voices of night; 
'^oe raised his head, begun a neigh, 

But she held his nose too tight; 
pulled him behind a great black rock, 

Hnd covered his head with her shawl. 
Chen prayed as she had never prayed, 

for protection for them alU 
H party had been out very late, 

Looting the neighboring farms, 
Che soldier's track in those old days 

Carried cries of wild alarms* 
each pig and cow ran for its life, 

each rooster knew its ghastly fate. 
Rushed wildly for the brush. 

Calling in terror to its mate* 
Che Y^vkccQ watered their stock. 

Swore at them loud and strong, 
dnconscious of the runaways, 

Chey went traveling right along. 
Che echoes had ceased to catch their noise, 

^hen the sick man suddenly said: 
^^60 back and save your precious lives, 

Cdhat matter if X am dead?" 
Tfust then the shrill hoot of an owl 

Gave each a shuddering start; 
10 



Cbe tall girl gave the owl's hoot, 

Chat must have gladdened its heart* 
^roin underneath a low-grown pine, 

Cwo men crawled, then stood erect; 
Che man in the saddle gave a sigh. 

But the girls knew what to expect* 
"Cde have come to take paine out,'' 

Said a soldier in tattered shoes, 
'*QIhen women do things like this, 

Cde men have nothing to lose; 
You make lives cheap, that we sell dear. 

Here's Kate! with her womanl)? ways, 
please say to-night in this horrible cold, 

You 'U be mine in the warmer days." 
** Briscoe, stop flirting," his sister said, 

Hdvancing to the saddle-bags, 
'^Hll take a drink of this apple-jack, 

Before your spirit lags. 
Come Larsh pangle and take a drink, 

Chen help our patient to carry, 
Hurry our troops back to town, 

for then I'm going to marry 
Che 8outh Carolina doctor, 

H very wide swath he swings, 
Re says he drives a coach and four, 

Hnd uses golden napkin rings." 
Her brother laughed in derision, 

Hnd said, ** It must be fun 
Co get far away from home, 

1 1 



Hnd *9boot with a long-range gun/'* 
Che soldiers took their comrade 

Hnd bore him forward with care, 
Che girls were ill from the work, 

Che>^'d helped each other to share. 
Hgain in the sad, old valle>^, 

Chey'd all meet when war should cease; 
Olith blazoned shield, ''OleU done,'^ 

f^om the consoling angel peace. 



ii 



^ Bap of Mn^ioni 

JAy heart was as cold as the marbtet 

Chat sentinels the dead^ 
)My life was a booh whose pages 

Reld each richer thought unread* 

Chere was duty and self-denial^ 

Hnd hours of quiet trust, 
But never a glimpse of earth's heaven, 

Che divine in human dust. 

But there came a touch to the marble, 
Chat gave it the glow of the sky, 

Hnd a word was left on the life-booh, 
^hose meaning can never die, 

Chen a rare, rich flood-tide of glory 

fell over the golden hours, 
Che sunbeams were laden with joy, 

QClhile wooing the hearts of the flowers. 

Hnd earth seemed a vast elysium 
^ith no need of a better sphere; 

^ith all the bliss of heaven. 
In the rapture of loving here. 



M 



^unbap— not Catijolic 

X dread no day that brings me life, 
X dread no hour that comes to me, 
X am beyond the pain and strife 
Chat rankle in the sects X see* 

X care not for all space and time, 
Xf X am always wholly Chine* 
X now renounce the word or rhyme, 
Chat keeps me from the life Divine. 



■I 



H 



i 



^ Map Eoo Hate 

Qlhy not have come long years ago^ 
^ben life was in its early glow, 
Hnd there were no shadows in tired eyes, 
Hnd the future held more than sad *^good- 
byes?'' 

Co have lived together one glowing hour, 
In youtVs subtle thrilling power, 
Cdhy wait till the gold has turned to gray, 
Hnd life has mellowed in a cold sad way? 



^5 



Z^t Jletu Bap 

TUNE OF "SILENT NIGHT" 

Out of the ntght over the height. 

Comes the 'May of pure delight/' 
Che dawn of perfection in truth and right: 

Chen turn your face to the radiant tight, 
for truth illumines a starless night, 

Bold in its efforts to always unite 
peace and love, then hold them in sight. 

Reach for the best the future is bright, 
Deaven is here, not an angeVs flight; 

Cdithin your heart by the spirit's might. 



16 



0nt of ttje ©teamg 

Che 8pniigtinie passed and left me^ 
^ith the furrowed lines of care, 

Hud once X dreaded their coming, 
Cdith the silvered golden ham 

Hnd once I prayed to die, 

6'er the Summer's burst of bloom, 
Hnd dreaded the chill of Hutumn, 

Hnd winter's lonel)' gloom* 

But now X am praying daily, 
for the body to be renewed, 

Hn everlasting temple 
^ith human error subdued, 

J^ever to know the change. 
But to draw each vital breath 

Chat helps the spirit to conquer 
Chat old last ''enemy,'' death* 



*7 



^nbersitanbtns 

Love is an abstract noun! 

Row can you class it so? 
0)erc is an abstract noun, 

Love's old enemy, woe* 

Love makes the light that shines, 
Hnd gives the stars their glow, 

Chere is no night for love. 
Darkness comes with woe. 

Love grows intense with pain, 
Cho' poverty brings a knell; 

Love is always heaven, 
X is hate that makes earth's belt 



18 



X do not care to discuss 
Cbe wife my son has wed, 

She is not my style you know, 
Chat is all X*vc ever said. 

She does not believe in hell, 
JNfor the Devil for anything; 

She laughs at the fear of God, 
Hnd says Love only, is king. 

"God is a consuming fire," 
I tell her the Bible reads; 

"Love is a consuming fire, 
Hnd 'God is love,' ** she pleads* 

)My daughters don't like her at all; 

Chey tear her to shreds somehow. 
Hnd I have to pray and beseech, 

Co keep down a family row. 

X do not see how she is happy. 
So different from all of us, 

But she 's radiant every day. 
Ignoring them and their fuss. 



^9 



j 

Cberc is nothing here to regret, i 

]^o page best left unread, 
1^0 thought one must forget, 

No word best left unsaid. 1 

Chere's no recorded mistake, 1 

8ach act in earnest doing 
Das kept the soul awake, 

perfection still pursuing* 

i 

Chere 's no pain for atonements sake. 

Love only takes us along, 
^hat seem to be errors we make, ^ 

^ill end in a triumph of song« j 



lO 



JfrienbgJjip 

I know her so well, you know, 
Chat I can say these things, 

Don't mention X told you she 
Invested her money in rings. 

Say nothing about the boy. 
Of course you knew he drank, 

She never mentions it. 
But she is not always f rank. 

I 've found out things when there. 
Chat she would never have told, 

Seen little things, and heard remarks. 
Before her house was sold. 

Chey owed so much in town, 
Relping his business to grow. 

Chat I was not surprised 
^hen the property had to go. 

She? ]Vo, she never gossips. 
But she leaves religion out, 

I am her nearest friend, 
I know what I am talking about 



zi 



Wf^t #ogpel of Hilt 

Cbc gospel of life is love, 
]^ot for sweethearts only, 

But for every human soul, 
6spectally the sad and lonely. 

Is there an enemy near you. 
Chat has ever wronged you sadly? 

Send them a thought of love, 
H thought of forgiveness gladly* 

Did they slander you to friends, 
Hnd people have tried to annoy? 

It is all so small, forgive them, 
Hnd fill your soul with joy. 

J^o matter if death seems better, 
Hnd hope has fled like the dove, 

*'fear not, O, Greatly Beloved,*' 
God restores tenfold with love* 



22 



Eecfeonins 

X took a wreck to my Sdcn; 

Che act none would approve; 
X shielded her from scandal, 

Hnd tried to win her with love* 

But she saw that I had an idol, 

X kept in a hoi)' place, 
She took from me that image, 

Hoping for me disgrace* 

But X was too proud to wail, 
X could talk, and sing and pra)?, 

X did not want an idol 
Xf made of filthy clay* 

Chen she came again to my 6den, 
Cdith a voice of musical rhyme* 

But she still had the fangs of a serpent, 
Hnd tried to leave its slime* 

Hn angel returned the image, 
Xt had proven too much care; 

Xt is now in the '*Roly of Rolies,'* 
Covered with jewels rare* 



^3 



trtje IBirii'g ilecttal 

H woman sat in the shadows, 

^ith hair as white as snow, 
But her heart was as young as the robins, 

^ith all his breast aglow. 

H love-bird sang aloud — 

**Ohf woman of mystery. 
Your heart is untouched by the crowd; 

Cho' they saddened your history. 

** Che commonplace herd don't know 
Chat days with beauty are fraught. 

But there comes a youth through the glow 
Chat mates with your every thought. 

** Re comes from a golden star, 
^here harp strings cover the trees, 

Hnd every musical chord. 
Is known to the passing breeze. 

*^Hnd every odorous flower 

Xs reflected in limpid streams, 
for the soul that lingers there 

Das only beautiful dreams. 

'Xhis youth will always find you, 

fio matter where you are, | 

Re heard you sighing for him, | 

80 he left the golden star. i 



** Hrise, and go to greet him ; 

Unfold to Mm life's page* 
I>old him in low's embrace^ 

for spirit has no age, 

'* Ceach him that life is love, 

(Re will find its cares and duty, ) 

Show him the highest ideals, 
Che purest thoughts of beauty. 

**y[^\» ask me to tell you the end? 

Your soul will soon fly afar, 
Hnd his will follow, and find you 

Bt home on the golden star/' 



*5 



v>m ^0 1003 



